The Cursed Prince

"Do you know where he went?" Harlow asked and resisted the urge to massage her forehead. Somehow she found Marguerite exhausting. "Is there a reason why he suddenly left the Ice Castle and headed for somewhere else?"

"This is not actually his original home, you know." Marguerite shrugged nonchalantly.

It was a cryptic answer and Harlow understood that the White Witch now refused to say anything else in regards to the reason why the man left. Perhaps that was the reason for the foul mood earlier.

It seemed like the White Witch and this Ice Prince were close. So, the departure of the prince was not something that the woman actually wanted for herself. There had to be a reason that wasn't related to the witch at all.

Harlow sighed deeply and asked. "Do you know where he went? Please tell me."

"I believe he probably visited Myreen first," the White Witch said. "He has close ties with the kingdom of Myreen and may have wanted to speak with the king there first before he left."

"Before he left?" Harlow raised a brow. "Where?"

The White Witch smiled crookedly and said, "If you wish to return home, then, do so now while you can. I am sure that your parents will be relieved to see you. However, if you seek for answers and wish to escape retribution then go forth and find him."

"Escape retribution?" Harlow's eyes narrowed and her heart started pounding. "What do you mean? That if I don't go look for this Ice Prince, the lives of my family members will be in grave danger?"

"Perhaps or perhaps not." 

"I do not understand." Harlow frowned a little. "Why are you unsure about it? Shouldn't it simply be a yes or no?"

The White Witch's expression turned icy. "Remember that your mother made a vow and in exchange for the scarf that brought her mother-in-law queen back to life, Emmelyn had to give up her most prized possession. Oaths are important for people like us."

Harlow hated those words. Most prized possesion. She was NOT a possession. She was not goods to own and trade.

She needed to fulfill it no matter what. Even though the chances of being able to escape punishment was possible for those in royalty due to their elevated position, most strove to keep their word and oaths.

The story about Harlow's own grandfather not marrying the woman he was intended to marry and soon had Harlow's father cursed as a result was great evidence. It showed how royalty who were unable to keep their vows were even actually punished. 

The idea that her mother would get punished after being tricked was something that did not sit well with Harlow.

Princess Harlow sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you put it that way, I suppose I simply have to go meet with the Ice Prince and then speak with him about this promise."

The White Witch's eyes narrowed for a moment and soon she stiffly nodded. "Of course. It will be a conversation between the two of you when you find him. Once you do see him, tell him that I expect him to come visit once everything has settled down."

Alarmed at the change in demeanor, Harlow only nodded warily. "Yes, I will do that."

"Wonderful." the White Witch clapped her hands. "Now I will be giving you instructions as to how to head to Myreen. Unlike Mount Tempest where your dragon instinctively knows the place, Myreen is an invisible kingdom."

"Invisible?"

"A pacifist kingdom that chose to hide from the world itself and remain prosperous in its own paradise," the White Witch answered. She suddenly created something out of thin air and handed it to Harlow.

It was an ice compass.

"The direction will lead you to Myreen and to the Leoraleis. Make sure to not cause offense to them as you did to me," the White Witch instructed. "I willingly turned to ignore your social misgivings, but do not offend those people."

"Huh… why?" Harlow batted her eyes in confusion.

"A certain incident provoked the Myreen to even further seclusion," the White Witch explained. "The king is a powerful wizard and yet a few years back, he suddenly lost his daughter and could not find her again."

Harlow's face suddenly saddened at hearing the news. "I see… that is a shame to hear. I hope that the king is not too depressed."

The White Witch shrugged but also nodded sympathetically. "I am unsure, but someone in grief sometimes cannot think properly or process their emotions well until they've managed to overcome the pain. Now go and find Raphael."

"I will… but will you send a message to my parents?" Harlow asked.

"Haven't I already said that I will?" The White Witch snapped at her. "Do you think I am old and frail enough to forget what I offered to you?"

"No, no, but just the story made me miss my parents more," Harlow smiled a bit sadly and crossed her arms. She was looking at the compass with a serious expression. "I even miss my brothers, which is funny."

"Alright, present me with your message."

After a short spell sent over to Draec, the princess soon left with Icecube. Harlow was prepared for another dangerous incident after the White Witch warned her about Myreen's king being depressed after losing his daughter. 

However, when Harlow came to Myreen, she was in for a surprise.

The White Witch told Harlow stories about Myreen in order to prepare her for what was to come. She explained that the Leoraleis were said to have been descendants of the earth goddess and their connection was so strong that they controlled the land.

When the king was sick, depressed, or otherwise feeling in pain or stricken with some other incident then the entire kingdom of Myreen would show it. The entire kingdom could be encased in ice and winter.

"Depending on how the king is feeling and whether or not he forces himself, the place can turn into a place even more inhospitable than my ice castle," Margueritte crookedly smiled. "So be wary of the place and seek out the king to find the Ice Prince."

.

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From Missrealitybites:

This made me feel nostalgic because Myreen is such an important part of "The Cursed King" which ended last week. If you read the book, you will be pleasantly surprised to meet a familiar character in the next chapter.

PS: Dear Harriet Moskowitz, thank you so much for the dragon you gifted to this book earlier. xx